Good actors overcome obstacles. They manage to get their performance through. Heck. JRD was buried under a massive beard and prosthetics, and I was still able to tell what his face was doing, and what shapes his mouth was making. Say what you will about how Gimli was written in the films, but I for one could tell how Gimli was feeling in any particular scene. You could see the anguish in his face in Balin's tomb. And credit to JRD for that. Likewise, Armitage is a great talent. People keep commenting on the intensity of Armitage's eyes - how you can see the fierceness, the steely reserve, and the unyielding determination and fortitude. Those are just from his eyes. You could've thrown a Gimli-sized beard on him, and I have no doubt he would have gotten the job done.

But I'm not even asking for a beard of Gimli's volume. Just something that wouldn't take an average adult male a month to grow, and something that wasn't so darn uninspiring.

I've always felt that beards were a point of pride for the dwarves. In the book, I believe Bilbo says something along the lines of "May your beard never grow thin" (or something to that effect). Bilbo wishes them a lifetime of healthy, thick beards - presumably because healthy, thick beards were important to them. In Thorin's case specifically, Bilbo says to Thorin, "'If you mean you think it is my job to go into the secret passage first, O Thorin Thrain's son Oakenshield, may your beard grow even longer" (Suggesting it was long to begin with). Moreso than thick brows and pudgy noses, beards are one of THE defining attributes of this race (second only to their height). Aragorn even makes a joke of it in TTT, on why all dwarves, men and women, look alike ("It's the beards").

And we have, what? Five/six dwarves with short or no facial hair?

And as I mentioned in another post. Thorin is a dwarf KING. You would think that, out of everyone, he would have a beard fit for one. If I were unfamiliar with the text, and I was asked to point out the king in this group of dwarves, I would easily point to Oin, Gloin, or Balin. The beard doesn't necessarily have to be three feet long. But something for Thorin to take pride in, and to reflect his status amongst his fellow, lower-class companions. A rich, thick beard with beautifully braiding and/or adornments. Instead, we get a plain old beard that I'm about a week shy of having myself. Boring. Just utterly boring.

And I'm ever frustrated by the fact that, had the beard been longer, I actually would have found myself quite content with THIS interpretation of the character. Much like Theoden for me in the LoTR - everything else about this design is great, but the beard kills it. (In case anyone asks what I mean, I hated Theoden's blonde hair, and I hated the goatee).

And I won't even get started on Kili - because that well of complaints has been drained dry. I'm spent.